Season opener at Candlestick Park, Sun September 12, 1982. The defending Super Bowl XVI champions host the Los Angeles Raiders at 4:00 PM.
Joe Montana returns as the established starter. Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon, and Russ Francis (acquired from New England) are the key targets. Marcus Allen starts his NFL career against the defending champions. Jim Plunkett leads the Raiders.
The defense must hold in a battle of former champions.[1][2][3]
The Raider name carries weight in September 1982. Marcus Allen is the year's breakout rookie candidate, Plunkett the veteran steady hand. These are not the Raiders anyone dismisses.
The 49ers have the ring but the season starts at home against a club that is also built to win. Whatever the offseason films said about the Raiders' vulnerabilities, Sunday answers it. Defending champions who open against serious competition either confirm the standard or show it was a one-year peak.
The league opens its first Sunday with both recent Super Bowl winners playing. The Raiders host — wait, play at Candlestick, and the 49ers are fresh off their first Lombardi. The NFC West is the early watch: Atlanta and Los Angeles enter as contenders. San Diego's Air Coryell is the AFC's offense to beat. The NFC's East is where the Cowboys and Eagles continue their rivalry. The 49ers' opener is one of the day's highest-profile games.
Through zero games the 49ers reset to a 13-3 1981, NFC West champions, Super Bowl XVI winners. The Raiders went 7-9 in 1981 but return a roster that has won a Super Bowl. Montana was 311 of 488 for 3,565 yards and 19 touchdowns in the 1981 regular season. The defense ranked fifth in the NFC in yards allowed. Marcus Allen enters as a rookie.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Houston Oilers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
Video missing for this game. If you find one, please report it.
On the call: John Madden, Pat Summerall (via RaiderRob)
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Raiders | Chris Bahr 41 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Freddie Solomon 18 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 3-7 |
| Raiders | Chris Bahr 42 yard field goal | 6-7 |
| 49ers | Dwight Clark 41 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 6-14 |
| Raiders | Marcus Allen 3 yard rush (Chris Bahr kick) | 13-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 22 yard field goal | 13-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Raiders | Todd Christensen 3 yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick) | 20-17 |
| Raiders | Chris Bahr 43 yard field goal | 23-17 |
Marcus Allen rushed for 116 yards on 23 carries and scored on a 3-yard run as the Los Angeles Raiders beat the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers 23-17 at Candlestick Park. Joe Montana went 21 of 41 for 244 yards with two touchdown passes — Freddie Solomon on 18 yards and Dwight Clark on 41 — and one interception. Clark caught 6 for 106. The 49ers fell to 0-1 as the home opener slipped away in the fourth quarter.[1][2][3]
The 49ers lost at home as defending champions to a Raiders squad with a point to make. Marcus Allen was the story: 116 yards on 23 carries, a 3-yard touchdown, and the kind of sustained run game that forced the 49ers' defense into an all-hands situation in the fourth quarter.
Montana put up 244 yards and two touchdowns. Clark caught six for 106 including a 41-yard score. Solomon's 18-yard touchdown gave the 49ers a 14-13 halftime lead. But the Raiders came back, Todd Christensen's 3-yard reception from Plunkett and a Chris Bahr field goal closed it 23-17.
The defending champions fall at home in week one. The Walsh offense was sharp enough — 252 yards, two touchdowns, Clark's dominance — but the defense could not stop Allen in the fourth quarter when stops were needed. Plunkett went 10 of 20 for 123 yards and managed the game cleanly.
Raiders 23, 49ers 17. Margin: minus 6. Record: 0-1.
A 23-17 home loss to the Los Angeles Raiders in the defending champion's first game of the year.
How it unfolded
The Raiders opened the scoring: Chris Bahr 41-yard field goal in the first quarter. The 49ers took the lead in the second quarter: Solomon's 18-yard touchdown reception from Montana, then Clark's 41-yard score. The Raiders answered: a Bahr 42-yard field goal, then Marcus Allen's 3-yard rush to make it 13-14. Wersching's 22-yard field goal put the 49ers up 17-13 entering the fourth. Todd Christensen's 3-yard touchdown reception from Plunkett flipped it to 20-17. Bahr's 43-yard field goal closed it 23-17.
The turning point
Christensen's 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. With the 49ers holding a 17-13 lead, Plunkett found Christensen on a short crossing route, and the Raiders held the lead the rest of the way. The next 49ers drive stalled.
By the numbers
Montana 21 of 41, 5.95 yards per attempt, two touchdowns, one interception. Clark six catches for 106 yards, the dominant target. The 49ers outgained the Raiders 252-255 in total yards — a razor-thin gap that did not matter as much as fourth-quarter execution. Allen 116 on 23 carries. The Raiders were sacked five times; the 49ers three.
What it means
0-1 is not a crisis for the defending champions, but a home loss to the Raiders begins the year with an answer the wrong way. The offense was capable; the defense needed one more stop in the fourth and could not get it.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 17 | 18 |
| Total Yards | 255 | 252 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 4 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 10/20 | 21/41 |
| Pass yards | 123 | 244 |
| Pass TD | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 2 | 1 |
| Sacks taken | 3 | 5 |
| Sack yards lost | 29 | 52 |
| Net pass yards | 94 | 192 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 43 | 22 |
| Rush yards | 161 | 60 |
| Rush TD | 1 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 4 | 3 |
| Fumbles lost | 2 | 3 |
| Penalties | 11 | 6 |
| Penalty yards | 102 | 99 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 21/41 | 244 | 2 | 1 | 75.7 |
| RAI | |||||
| Jim Plunkett | 10/20 | 123 | 1 | 2 | 46.5 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jeff Moore | 7 | 30 | 0 | 7 |
| Walt Easley | 5 | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Amos Lawrence | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| RAI | ||||
| Marcus Allen | 23 | 116 | 1 | 22 |
| Kenny King | 9 | 33 | 0 | 12 |
| Frank Hawkins | 7 | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| Ray Guy | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Jim Plunkett | 2 | -4 | 0 | -1 |
| Todd Christensen | 1 | -6 | 0 | -6 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Dwight Clark #87 | 6 | 106 | 1 | 41 |
| Charle Young | 6 | 45 | 0 | 15 |
| Renaldo Nehemiah #82 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 14 |
| Jeff Moore | 3 | 22 | 0 | 13 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 13 |
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| Amos Lawrence | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| RAI | ||||
| Marcus Allen | 4 | 64 | 0 | 28 |
| Kenny King | 2 | 30 | 0 | 20 |
| Cliff Branch | 2 | 21 | 0 | 14 |
| Todd Christensen | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1982 W1 - 49ers vs Los Angeles Raiders - Game Thread
